KEY POINTS:
"When it all went wrong, all the cops were doing was directing traffic and laughing their heads off," said businessman Steve Gordon as he arrived in Auckland last night.
"They should have had the Army involved much earlier."
Mr Gordon was on the first plane to arrive back from Nuku'alofa last night.
He was relieved to be back and said he was dumbfounded by the laidback attitude of Tongan authorities as shops were looted and buildings razed.
The rioting left eight dead and an estimated 80 per cent of businesses in Nuku'alofa's business district destroyed.
"They were smashing and grabbing things and while the police were directing traffic they were loading fridges and freezers into cars and taking off," Mr Gordon said. "No one knew about the deaths until the next day, which came as a bit of a shock."
Mike Weck said Nuku'alofa was a scene of utter chaos. The pair had managed to get their business dealings completed but were now worried about getting any payment.
Another passenger, Paulo Hehea, said there was little sympathy among Tongans for those who died.
"There is only sympathy for their families, not for the people involved."
He said that he felt "very, very sad for the nation because of the devastation that would be forced on it".
Although the social and political unrest was obvious, Mr Hehea said the economic impact over the next year would make life difficult for those affected by looting and arson.
Sione Niupalau, who with his daughter had planned to return to New Zealand at Christmas, said his family here insisted on his early return.
He said schools throughout the island had been closed down, disrupting examinations for many students.
Mr Niupalau also felt "devastated" for what his country had gone through.
"I've never seen anything like that in my life - you never think anything like this is going to happen."
Nobody knew the identities of those who had died during the looting.
